


Clandestine

by nobilis



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Leokasa Week, M/M, Mild Angst, One Shot, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Timeline vaguely set in !!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23837998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobilis/pseuds/nobilis
Summary: Leo coming over unannounced was not something unheard of. What was unheard of was the late hour he decided to pay Tsukasa a visit.-----“Leo-san, do you realize what time it is?” Tsukasa asked, unable to mask his annoyance with how late Leo showed up at his doorstep.“Um... nighttime?”
Relationships: Suou Tsukasa/Tsukinaga Leo
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52
Collections: Leokasa Week





	Clandestine

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. I return once more. I have been working on this fic on and off for the past 6 months and I'm glad that it's not only finally done but done in time for leokasa week. When I originally started this, it wasn't my intent to post it for leokasa week but as time went on, it became my goal. This is quite the dozy of a fic and probably the longest piece of fiction I've written in completion to date. 
> 
> In any case, I hope you all enjoy. And Happy Leokasa Week!

Every night Tsukasa made sure he had a proper night’s rest. Prior to even when Izumi drilled it into his head that staying up late is bad for your skin, Tsukasa had always gone to bed at an appropriate time. Both his parents and household staff made sure to instill the importance of a good night’s sleep into Tsukasa’s head from a young age. 

And so with that in mind, it was needless to say how Tsukasa was less than pleased when he heard a knock on his bedroom door in the middle of the night. It had been one of his servants informing him how there was a guest at the manor’s entrance. At first Tsukasa tried to brush off said guest, telling his servant to tell them to come back at a more appropriate hour. However, his servant made it abundantly clear how the guest insisted on seeing him despite the late hour and had no intention of leaving until the two of them met. 

After he let out an exasperated sigh, Tsukasa dragged himself out of bed and made his way downstairs. 

3:11 AM. 

Tsukasa wished he was still asleep in bed after seeing the time but instead he found himself at the entryway to his manor with his incompressible (former) leader of his. 

“Leo-san, do you realize what time it is?” Tsukasa asked, unable to mask his annoyance with how late Leo showed up at his doorstep.

“Um... nighttime?” Leo replied innocently to which Tsukasa rolled his eyes. Even if Leo didn’t want to admit it out loud, he must know how much of a nuisance he was being. That, or the concept of time was a completely foreign concept to him. Though, if Tsukasa was to be completely honest with himself, the latter was just as likely as the former. 

“It’s 3 AM, Leo-san,” Tsukasa replied curtly. Whether Leo knew he was being an annoyance or was just painfully oblivious, Tsukasa was going to make sure that Leo knew exactly how much of an annoyance he was being. “Your lack of awareness and courtesy to others truly knows no bounds. You’re lucky I didn’t have the staff immediately kick you out.”

“Alright, I get it already, Suo. You’re upset that I woke you up but I really had no other place to go. Please save me from dying on the streets in the cold,” Leo said. And as to help further prove his point, Leo pretended to be cold by shivering and making the motions to look like he was trying to warm himself up. 

Despite Leo’s best efforts in order to win Tsukasa over, Tsukasa’s response was to narrow his eyes as he looked at the older boy. He wasn’t going to allow himself to fall for such an obvious ploy. He was far too irritated for being woken up at such an obscene hour. Especially when Tsukasa was fairly confident in the reasoning being completely asinine.

No, he would not humor Leo. Not even for a second. 

“We’ll put aside the fact of how it’s September so you can’t possibly die from hypothermia with how warm it is outside, Leo-san, you do remember how you have a home with a family you can return to when you are in Japan, don’t you? Or did you forget even about Ruka-chan from all the traveling you’ve been doing?”

“Hey! How could you ever dare suggest I would forget Ruka-tan?! My darling angel. She’s too cute to ever forget. I may forget my name and even yours.” Tsukasa wanted to interject there but Leo prattled on before he could. “But I could never forget Ruka-tan. Aaaah. Ruka-tan, I wish to see you again. Your big brother missed you all these months. Grrr. Sena. That idiot! He’s been yelling at me the entire time we were in Italy together. Suo you won’t believe what Sena did the other da-“

“Leo-san if you came here to have idle chatter then I am going to ask you to please see yourself out and go home. It’s too late for you to come barging at my door and disrupting not only myself, but my family staff as well. Did you forget where you live in the few months you’ve been away from Japan? If that is the case, then I’ll have someone take you ho— Leo-san did you start composing in the middle of me speaking to you? This is extremely inconsiderate, even for you.”

“Suo, shut up- wait no. Don’t shut up. Keep talking. Your voice has opened the gates to an endless source of inspiration once more. Are you a magician? An alien? Suo, how do you have this magic power? How long have you had it?” 

“Leo-san, it is far too late for you to go prattling on like a fool. I want to go to bed so if you have no actual business here then please see yourself out. I am incredibly tired.” 

“Wait!” Leo said as he finished scribbling the last note on a measure and quickly went to grab Tsukasa’s arm so he couldn’t walk away. “I came here for a purpose. What was it? Maybe if I compose more it’ll come back to me…” 

As Leo went to flip the page in his notebook in order to start the next measure, Tsukasa snatched the pen out of Leo’s hand with zero hesitation. In all honesty, what he really wanted to do was smack Leo on the back of his head with his own notebook for how disruptive he’s been for the past ten minutes, but that was not the behavior befitting of a gentleman so Tsukasa (somehow) held himself back. 

“You know as well as I, how composing will not jog any forgotten memories for you,” Tsukasa replied. In the year that they have known each other, not once has composing ever helped Leo remind him of something he has forgotten. “I have known you long enough to know by now how if I let you compose, you will become completely absorbed in your work and won’t pay any mind to how inconsiderate you’re truly being right now.” 

“Suo, you can’t take away my lifeline like that,” Leo whined, obviously ignoring everything Tsukasa had just said. “I’ll really die without a pen in my hand to compose. You don’t want blood on your hands for the death of your king do you? Who’s the inconsiderate one now? Huh?” 

“First off, I do believe I’m the king now. I inherited the crown properly during Repayment Festival this past spring. Second, you won’t die from not being able to compose. In fact, you might regain some brain cells and sense if you stopped composing for five minutes.” 

“Suo, you’ve come to like declaring yourself king, haven’t you? I wish I could say I’m proud since you were so hesitant to take the crown when I first asked you but this is an abuse of authority!” 

“I’m fairly certain that it was you that said a King’s orders are absolute. Please stop backtracking on what you’ve said in the past because it’s no longer convenient for you.” Tsukasa replied. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to keep this up with Leo. As this went on, Tsukasa found himself becoming increasingly more exhausted. His pillow was calling his name but Leo insisted on continuing their conversation despite how visibly exhausted and curt Tsukasa has become.

“Now, please stop trying to talk in circles so I lose sight of the original question. Leo-san, why are you here? I really will kick you out if you cannot answer me in the next ten seconds.” 

“That’s so abrupt. Suo, you can’t just kick me out like that. I walked all the way here from home,” Leo replied, finally giving Tsukasa’s question about why he was here so late some serious thought for the first time he greeted him at the door. 

“Yes! That’s right, Suo, I tried to go home. I wanted to see my precious Ruka-tan but she was nowhere to be found. No matter how much I called out to her. Suo, you don’t think she’s begun hating her big brother, do you? No, I’ll die right here and now if Ruka-tan tells me that she hates me. Is it from leaving her so long? She wouldn’t hate me just for that, right? Suo, don’t say it’s true! Have I earned my beloved Ruka-tan’s disdain?” 

“Leo-san, please focus. You’re rambling,” Tsukasa said. It was perhaps too much to expect that Leo would give him a straight answer with his undivided attention. “Ruka-chan does not hate you. Last I saw her, she spoke very fondly of you and was quite proud that you were traveling across the world creating a name for yourself.” 

“Wait. Have you been talking to my Ruka-tan behind my back?! Have you made any moves on my sister Tsukasa Suou?!” Leo exclaimed as he suddenly closed the gap between him and Tsukasa grabbing his shirt by the collar. 

“What? Leo-san please unhand me right now. How on earth did you jump to that conclusion. I have no interest in courting your younger sister. If my heart is to lie with anyone woman, it would be with Onee-sama.” 

“What’d you say?! Is my little Ruka-tan not good enough for you?” 

“Leo-san, what are you mad about now? I simply do not understand. Do you want me to be romantically interested in my sister or not?” 

“No.” 

“Then why are you getting so angry with me?” 

“Because you should be,” Leo replied matter of factly. 

“Leo-san, that doesn’t make the slightest amount of sense. Now please, stop getting off track and answer my initial question. I’ve had enough playing this silly game with you so late at night and I wish to go back to sleep.” 

“Grrrr. Fine. For now, I’ll ignore your blatant disrespect towards my precious Ruka-tan,” Leo said and Tsukasa just let out an exasperated sigh in reply. He was far too tired for Leo’s whimsical nature this late at night. He already had a hard enough time keeping up with him during the day when he was fully awake. 

“But Suo, if you’re saying Ruka isn’t mad with me for leaving her for so long, why did she not answer when I called her?” 

“… Leo-san, I feel like I must ask, when you say ‘call’ did you mean using your phone or perhaps some other method?” Tsukasa trailed off. Normal people with any semblance of common sense would use a phone, but this was Leo. And Tsukasa knew when it came to Leo, there was a chance he would have done something completely nonsensical. 

“Suo, you know I never know where my phone is,” Leo laughed before continuing. “I think I might have left it at home when I left yesterday evening…” 

Tsukasa wished he could say he couldn’t believe how he was right, but he could. And he wasn’t sure if this was something he should consider fortunate or unfortunate. On one hand, he understood Leo far better now than when they first met. On the other, this meant he has grown too accustomed to Leo’s nonsense, where it has become easy to decipher Leo’s train of thought and bad habits. 

Though, being able to follow Leo at least this much had it’s benefits since the pieces were suddenly starting to fit together in Tsukasa’s mind and he had a pretty good idea of what probably happened. 

“Leo-san are you saying you haven’t been home since yesterday and you think you left your phone at home as well?” 

“Yeah Suo. Were you not listening? Jeez.”

“Of course I was listening. I’ve been listening to your prattle on for the past twenty minutes now despite the fact it went completely against my better judgement to do so.” 

“Hey-!” Leo tried interjecting, but Tsukasa immediately cut him off. He wasn’t giving him another opening to ramble on about some topic that Leo would completely sidetrack the conversation again. 

“Now, Leo-san, have you considered maybe that you’re simply locked out of your house and your family isn’t home to let you in?” 

Leo stood before Tsukasa with a dumbfounded expression before he clapped his hands giving him an “a-ha!” sound in reply. 

“Yeah, that’s right! Suo, you’re a genius! When I got home I couldn’t open the door since I didn’t have my keys and when I knocked or called at the top of my lungs no one opened the door for me. Since I couldn’t get inside I came here instead. You’re the only one I could turn to Suo,” Leo said the last part rather dramatically as he clung to Tsukasa with dear life. “I don’t have any place to go. Lemme stay here for the night.” 

Tsukasa let out an exasperated sigh as Leo continued to hold onto him rather tightly. Leo didn’t seem to pay much mind to their closeness, but Tsukasa on the other hand was hyper aware of their proximity. He could feel his body begin to heat up slightly as he tried to get Leo to let his vice grip on him go. 

“Leo-san, please unhand me at once. Does your family not keep a spare key for you to use in case you leave your copy at home?” Tsukasa asked. It wasn’t that Tsukasa had any experience in this sort of thing. He always made sure he had a copy of the house key in case he didn’t come home with one of his servants for any reason but it seemed popular in TV shows to leave an extra key hidden some place by the front door. 

That classic troupe always seemed to be a rather far fetched idea to Tsukasa. What would stop a burglar from checking if there was a spare key laying around? It just seemed like a bad idea which welcomed unwanted visitors into someone’s home. However, since this was Leo, the Tsukinaga family might have done something similar to what was seen on TV despite how reckless it was. If Leo’s head wasn’t attached to his neck, Tsukasa was confident in the fact that Leo would have lost it by now. 

“No, someone is usually home. And I guess there was that one time… um… four times I lost the spare key so we had to change the locks each time.” 

Tsukasa couldn’t stop himself from sighing inwardly. Of course Leo would lose the house keys. And it couldn’t have been cheap to replace the locks four times, so his parents must have given up on the idea of leaving a spare for him just in case. Especially since someone was usually home. However, it seemed to work against Leo in moments like this when his family went away. 

“If you have nowhere else to go then I suppose I don’t have much of a choice but to ask if you may be permitted to stay for the night. I can’t leave you to go galavanting off on your own at night. You will surely cause a disturbance in the neighborhood if left unattended.” 

“Thanks Suo. You’re the best! I love you!” Leo exclaimed as he brought the younger teen into a hug. 

“Leo-san, please mind your distance. And how many times must I remind you to not speak so frivolously? You will give people the wrong idea if you continue to be so flippant and loose-lipped,” Tsukasa said as he tried to push Leo off of him to no avail. For someone so small, he sure did have a lot of strength hidden in that tiny body of his. 

“Wahaha! Suo, you need to learn to relax more. You were the one who spoke about love so openly during Repayment Festival,” Leo replied. He loosened his grip some but it still wasn’t enough for Tsukasa to break free. “Your parents were in the audience, right? You already said some pretty embarrassing things so there shouldn’t be any problems with this much.” 

It wasn’t as if Tsukasa wished to forget that Repayment Festival happened. He meant every word he spoke that day but he did wish to forget that his parents watched him act so boldly in front of the entire school. He did make some rather extreme declarations back then and both of them did approach him afterwards about what he meant. 

Tsukasa could remember his embarrassment quite well. And how red he must have become when his parents asked what kind of feelings their son held for this now former leader of his. There was no doubt that he was rather fond of Leo but to say he was attracted to him in any capacity? No, he simply could not be. He already long ago decided that his heart belonged to Anzu. Even if she didn’t appear to carry the same feelings he did, he wanted to be someone she could turn to in support. 

He could not like Leo Tsukinaga. 

Repayment Festival didn’t prove anything. Nothing he said that day had some sort of underlying message or meaning. He was simply caught up in the moment when he made such embarrassing declarations. He truly did love Knights and his seniors in Knights but it was strictly on a platonic level. 

“Even so, Repayment Festival was a special case, an extraneous circumstance if you will. That day I wished to stress and prove a point to my seniors. It’s not something I will make a habit of saying to you. So, I would prefer it if you did the same.”

“Suo, you’re no fun,” Leo pouted but he listened to Tsukasa nonetheless and finally relinquished his hold on his sides. 

“Leo-san, please allow me to escort you to the parlor. I’ll need you to wait there as I go to talk to my parents about letting you stay the night,” Tsukasa said. “I only ask you don’t make too much noise while I’m gone.” 

“An escort? Suo, you really are a rich kid, aren’t you?” Leo smiled. “Lead the way. I promise I’ll be good. Not a peep from me.” 

Tsukasa found it difficult to believe that Leo would be capable of keeping quiet especially since Leo hasn’t done anything thus far to really prove Tsukasa otherwise, but he decided to have faith in Leo, even if it was against his better judgement. 

“Young Master, it’s awfully late to have guests,” Tsukasa turned around to see the head butler walking towards him.

“I agree but Leo-san has found himself locked out of his home and it appears he has nowhere else to go,” Tsukasa replied. He wanted it to be known that Leo Tsukinaga being here at this hour was not his idea nor did he encourage this late night venture. “Since Leo-san is my predecessor, it seemed rather cruel to leave him outside to figure out another alternative when we have more than enough space to accommodate him for a night.” 

“Of course Young Master. Please do not think I was criticizing you. I recognize Tsukinaga-sama well enough. It’s hard to forget someone as jovial as him,” his butler offered him a smile which put Tsukasa’s heart at ease. “If you were on your way to talk to the Mister and Misses about having Tsukinaga-sama stay the night, then allow me to speak with them. It’s rather late and you’re still a growing boy, so you need plenty of rest, Young Master. I’ll have a maid escort Tsukinaga-sama to a guest room.” 

“No, it’s quite alright. I’ll escort Leo-san myself. No need to disturb anyone else for my acquaintance’s inconsiderate behavior. I’ll go to bed after showing Leo-san to his room,” Tsukasa replied.

“As you wish. Have a good night, Young Master, Tsukinaga-sama,” the head butler offered the two of them a bow before making his way over to Tsukasa’s parents’ room. 

“Shall we get going, Leo-san?” Tsukasa asked as he turned back to Leo, who for some reason had a pout on his face. “What are you upset about now, Leo-san? You were given permission to stay, were you not? Shouldn’t you be happy to not have to spend the night on the streets? Or are you upset that I called you ‘inconsiderate’? Surely, you understand the moment you rang my bed, you have been exactly so.” 

“Suo, you’re so stupid. Stuuuu~pid. I’m leaving. I would rather sleep in the cold than stay here.” 

“What? After all this trouble you caused, you decide you’re leaving now? This is what I mean by you being inconsiderate, Leo-san.” 

“Suo is the inconsiderate one. You don’t even know what you said that’s so offensive. This is why Sena was always yelling at you. You really don’t respect your elders at all. Or did the title of king really go to your head?” 

“I’m just as grounded as I was when I first met you. That’s an insult to my character if you’re saying my ego has inflated. I will not take such remarks so kindly,” Tsukasa said curtly. He really had half the mind to toss Leo outside himself, but he knew that wouldn’t solve anything nor was it the proper thing to do so he refrained from taking any actions that he would probably regret later. “Instead of complaining, why don’t you tell me what I said that you found was so wrong, and if you properly explain to me then I will rephrase whatever it was that I said which you found so offensive.” 

“If Suo doesn’t know then it’s a waste of time,” Leo said matter of factly as he started making his way back to the front entrance. However, he didn’t get too far before, Tsukasa grabbed him by the arm and started leading him towards his own bedroom. 

“Suo, what are you doing? Hey! Suo, I’m talking to you,” Leo said, but Tsukasa ignored him. He was sure if he said anything now, he would surely lecture the other for wanting to walk out without discussing what was wrong. If it bothered Leo that much to want to walk out then they should use their words to properly communicate what they’re feeling. 

Leo must have realized that Tsukasa wasn’t going to say anything until they were alone because he was no longer making any noise or resisting him as they walked. 

The two kept a brisk pace until they reached his room where Tsukasa could finally let go of Leo’s arm, “Sit.” 

Leo opened his mouth for a moment but quickly shut it and listened to what Tsukasa instructed and took a seat on his sofa as Tsukasa closed the door to his bedroom. 

“Leo-san, what did I say that has upset you to such a degree after you were practically begging me to spend the night at my home?” 

“Forget it. I don’t wanna talk about it, Suo. Let’s just go to sleep.” 

“Absolutely not. You were the one who was throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of my home. I would like to know what I did so wrong to upset you,” Tsukasa said firmly. He was not going to let this go. Towards the end of the previous school year, he caused his seniors a lot of trouble for not properly communicating with them his circumstances and how he was feeling. He wasn’t going to allow any of his seniors who showed him the error of his ways to do the same thing. 

Whether Leo Tsukinaga liked it or not, they were going to talk. 

And it seemed like Leo was finally understanding that fact as Tsukasa stood in front of him while he sat on the bed. 

“Fine. I can see you’re gonna be stubborn about this until I talk so you win. But can you at least sit down, Suo? It sucks enough as it is that you’re already taller than me, I don’t need you looming over me too!” 

With no reason to not listen to Leo’s request, Tsukasa nodded his head as he took a seat next to Leo on the sofa. 

At first, Leo remained silent. Seemingly trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to say. Or perhaps how he wanted to say it? For as long as Tsukasa knew Leo, he was never particularly good with using his words. He always spoke in riddles and when he wasn’t it was utter nonsense that Tsukasa had a hard time following for the greater part of their relationship. 

It took quite some time for Tsukasa to become accustomed to the way Leo spoke so he could decipher any hidden meanings or metaphors that Leo often loved slipping in. 

“What am I to you, Suo?” 

Tsukasa was surprised by the simplicity of Leo’s question, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. 

“A valuable ally and comrade,” Tsukasa replied but judging by Leo’s expression, he didn’t seem satisfied with that answer so Tsukasa tried elaborating even more. “Leo-san, you’re someone I greatly admire. I found you completely incomprehensible when we first met, but since then you have taught me quite a lot. Not only about being an idol, but about the people around me, and even myself. I am grateful towards you and I’m glad you returned to Knights. 

“I never thought of my youth as something for me to enjoy. I always thought of the future and how the fate of the Suou name rested on my shoulders. That’s not to say I no longer think about those things. I still do, very much so. But I also make time for thoughts regarding the present and enjoying the life I am living now and not just what I will be living for later down the road.”

It seemed like Leo was giving what Tsukasa said some serious thought, much to Tsukasa’s surprise. He couldn’t recall a time where he saw Leo with such a deep and contemplative expression on his face so whatever was bothering him before must have really struck a chord with him. 

“If that’s how you feel Suo, isn’t calling me an ‘acquaintance’ kind of cold? We’re not just people who exchange greetings on the street once in a while if we just run into each other. We fought, we laughed and we cried together. We did a whole lot of stuff that simple acquaintances would never dream of doing together,” Leo said and it was then that Tsukasa realized the gravity of his words, but before he could say anything, Leo continued his train of thought. 

“I may not be the leader of Knights anymore, but you’re gonna always be my little chick, my knight. I thought we talked this out already at our ‘Requiem’ but was I the only one who felt that way Suo? I don’t agree. Not one bit. We’re not acquaintances. We’re like family. No, we are family.”

When Tsukasa was originally turning in for the night, he never would have imagined Leo showing up at his door at 3 AM. And he expected such a heartfelt confession even less. 

“Leo-san, forgive me. Allow me to correct my statement from earlier. You are right, we are not simple acquaintances. The bonds we share and the time we spent together over the course of a year is not something so distant like the word acquaintance implies,” Tsukasa said. He knew the next words he chose to say were going to be rather important so he wanted to make sure it was right. He didn’t want to be the reason Leo Tsukinaga ran away once more due to his insensitive behavior. 

Not that much prior to Repayment Festival did Izumi finally tell Tsukasa about what happened to Knights the year before he joined. Why they had become the corpses as they waited for someone to move the clock forward for them once more. Why Leo ran away and took so long to return to Knights. 

Leo thought he was hated. He loved so many and he thought they returned that love but he would later learn the reality of the situation. How save for the current members of Knights, none of them truly loved him. They used him and tossed him aside when he served no purpose for them anymore. He didn’t think there was a single person who loved him in this school. And so, he ran away. 

For the longest time, Tsukasa’s feelings towards Leo were conflicting. When he joined Knights he imagined their unit leader being poised with grace. Someone leading a glorious unit like Knights was sure to be refined and noble. So, when Tsukasa finally met Leo for the first time, he was taken off guard. Someone this wild and rather unruly was the leader of Knights? He found it really hard to believe.

Leo made Tsukasa feel an overwhelming amount of emotions over the course of their time together during the school year, but hate was never one of them. 

There were times he was frustrated with Leo. There were times where he yelled and they were both heated from a dispute. There were also times where Tsukasa honestly thought about getting into a scuffle with him. 

But no matter what Leo did, no matter how unruly he could become, Tsukasa could never possibly hate him. Because he also taught Tsukasa a lot as well. 

Up until he enrolled in Yumenosaki, Tsukasa always put a great amount of pressure on himself to be the perfect son. He made sure to always act and conduct himself in a manner that adults would praise him for. His manners were impeccable and he was always the top of his class. He never strayed from the path and always did as he was told. 

Tsukasa always made sure to be both a model student and son. He was praised for it and he enjoyed said praises, but at some point those praises became empty. 

He felt empty. 

At this point, Tsukasa has accepted the role bestowed upon him by his seniors as Knights’ savior, but truly, they were the ones who saved him from the emptiness he has felt for so long. And Leo was perhaps the lead contributing factor.

Leo who had entered his life like a whirlwind gave him a breath of new life. Tsukasa has learned and experienced so many things thanks to Leo. The joys he experiences today were only possible because of Leo. 

Before meeting Leo, Tsukasa could never earnestly say how he enjoyed his youth, his life. He was blessed with many things, and he was grateful for it all but those blessings restricted him. He felt trapped and felt like he had nowhere to run. He truly was like those antiques sitting on a shelf. They were admired and praised, but always kept at a distance and served no real purpose other than looking beautiful. 

Tsukasa accepted his role as an antique. At some point he even gave up trying to be anything but one; however, on one summer day when he least expected it, Leo stormed into his life like a typhoon. 

Just when Tsukasa had already given up, Leo forced a door open and dragged him outside. It was thanks to Leo that Tsukasa was able to see a new world he would have never experienced without the other by his side. 

Leo probably doesn’t know how much he has done and how he had saved Tsukasa from himself. How he can now proudly say he was enjoying his life and youth. 

So, Tsukasa couldn’t let Leo believe that he hated him because that was the farthest thing from the truth. 

“At this time last year all five of us were leading our own separate lives. Knights had a long standing tradition of being the type of unit composed of talented individuals who could work together but the appeal of Knights lied in everyone’s individuality and working separately. In a way, being a member of Knights meant keeping to yourself and never getting too involved with others. 

“The beginning of my first term at Yumenosaki, I experienced nothing different from what was tradition of Knights. However, somewhere along the line things began to change. Perhaps it was the result of us losing DDD and Sena-senpai kidnapping Trickstar’s, Makoto Yuki-senpai, did we start to unconsciously change. 

“Each day we took a step towards atoning for our mistakes. Knights went on hiatus as we volunteered around the school in order to improve our reputation once more. We worked relentlessly in order to regain the trust of our classmates. It may be presumptuous of me to assume, but I believe this is when we started to move forward as a single unit rather than a group of individuals. 

“This is where our story truly begins. Where we finally began to work together and faced each other head on. We fought, we laughed and we cried together. And then somewhere along the way before any of us realized, the five of us became a family. Albeit slightly dysfunctional, but a family nonetheless. 

“Knights is a family I love and treasure just as much as if we were blood. 

“No matter what, Leo Tsukinaga of Knights will always be someone I admire and treasure from the bottom of my heart so I apologize if my wording earlier led you to believe otherwise because it was not my intention to do so. How I speak with my servants is different from how I speak with my seniors. The sentiment and feelings I hold towards you and the rest of my seniors is hard to get across with how I’m supposed to conduct myself in front of my family staff so it’s a habit I haven’t been able to break quite just yet. However, I know that’s no excuse so it’s something I will work on to improve myself.” 

At first Leo remained silent and Tsukasa began to wonder if maybe he had said something strange. It wasn’t often that Leo was rendered speechless, so for him to say nothing was odd; however, it wasn’t long before he heard Leo start laughing. 

“Suo, you really are something else. For a guy who says he doesn’t like saying embarrassing things so you appear dignified or whatever, you sure say them all the time on your own,” Leo smirked. “That almost had as much passion and love behind what you said on stage for our Requiem.” 

Tsukasa felt his face heat up the moment Leo pointed out how he had allowed himself to get caught up in the mood once more and made some rather bold declarations. 

“I wasn’t going to allow you to think I hated you, Leo-san,” Tsukasa replied. His tone was mixed as he tried to stop himself from grumbling. Something Leo must have found hilarious because he started laughing again. 

“I never thought you hated me, Suo. You just assumed that I did. Even if I wasn’t around as long as Sena, Naru or Rittsu were for you, I still helped raise you. My cute little chick who grew into a fine king,” Leo laughed as he ruffled Tsukasa’s hair. 

Tsukasa wasn’t sure what struck a chord and annoyed him more. The obvious lack of consideration for personal space on Leo’s part or the fact that Leo called him a chick and claimed to help raise him. There was no doubt Leo gave him valuable guidance over the past year but to claim to raise him was a stretch. Tsukasa refused to accept Leo as an older brother figure. Not when Tsukasa was far more responsible and had a considerably more common sense than Leo could ever dream of. 

Not to mention, it just felt inherently wrong to Tsukasa to view Leo in such a manner. He couldn’t properly explain or express why he felt such a way but Tsukasa could feel it in his heart how there was more to it than simply being the more responsible one. However, he wouldn’t ever admit that to Leo. Everything was far too complicated for Tsukasa to willingly admit these thoughts that troubled him deep down. 

“Leo-san, please don’t pat my head so aggressively. You’re going to rip some of my hair out if you’re not careful,” Tsukasa chided as he tried to get Leo’s hand from off his head to no avail. Leo seemingly ignored him as he made the circular motion faster momentarily before slowing down and coming to a halt all together, which surprised Tsukasa since he expected the other to go on with this for a while longer so he slowly looked up at Leo once more and gave him a curious look. 

“I know my knights love me. Your love is something I will never doubt. When we first met, I was a naked king who no longer knew what love was but the four of you taught me what it means really means to love and be loved,” Leo replied with a smile before it shifted into a smirk. “And I know it’s ‘cause you grew up in such a stuffy environment that you can’t just tell people you love them, Suo~” 

“Pardon me but-” 

“BUT!~ You know it’s still not a nice feeling when you treat the rest of us like strangers. Suo, no one is gonna get mad at you for having friends. Actually, your parents came up to me once and were all like ‘Thanks for looking out for our Tsukasa. We’re in your debt.’ Blah blah blah. They were really glad you made friends your age since they only ever see you talk to Tenshi’s kid.” 

His parents never mentioned talking to Leo before so that was a surprise to Tsukasa. Though, that is probably to be expected. They didn’t really have to mention to him how they sought Leo out just to thank him. 

“I didn’t realize you met with my parents. I do hope that you were on your best behavior in front of them at the very least.” 

“I’m always on my best behavior, Suo~” Leo smiled and Tsukasa could only roll his eyes in response. “You really should go make more friends, Suo. ‘Cuz after they talked to me, they saw Sora and thanked him too. They must have felt indebted to him too since he helped you out a lot with that theater project Tenshi threw at you.” 

“Is that so…” Tsukasa trailed off. He didn’t realize how much he must have been worrying his parents up until now but he made sure to make the mental note to apologize to them later for it at a more reasonable hour. 

“Yep, I bet your parents would be super happy if you let loose a bit with your friends~” 

“Please do not get carried away, Leo-san. I doubt they would want such a thing.” 

“C’mon Suo, you’re still a kid, you know. No one can fault you for wanting to act your age once in a while. You act plenty like an adult most of the time already so you gotta enjoy the moment and live your life more. Otherwise you’re gonna be the one who is left behind because you were too busy being stuffy and boring all by yourself.

“I’m not saying to do a 180 and start acting like a rebellious teenager and go commit arson or something. It’s ‘cause you’re seventeen now that you can make dumb mistakes without too many consequences so enjoy your youth while you can. Once we’re adults we have to start owning up to our mistakes but for now we have youth on our side.” 

“Even so…” 

“Suo,” Leo said with a disapproving tone as he clamped the palm of his hands on both of Tsukasa’s cheeks, pressing them in slightly in order to squish Tsukasa’s face. “I’m not the king anymore so I can’t order you around but as your friend, I’m asking you to do this. It’s lonely when Suo is far away.”

Tsukasa could feel his face flush instantly the moment he felt Leo’s palms on both sides of his face but he quickly shook his head and pried Leo’s hands off. He really was too close. 

“Leo-san, please stop squeezing my cheeks. I’m not an infant who is in need of attention,” Tsukasa said with a tone slightly more disgruntled than he originally intended. After clearing his throat, Tsukasa softened both his tone and voice as he looked at Leo once more. 

“But I do understand what you mean, Leo-san... When you and Sena-senpai first went abroad it was a bit lonely without the both of you here. Once the new school year began, we would gather at Knights studio just as we always have and despite how the three of us knew it was rather foolish to believe, we expected the both of you to stroll in the studio. But you nor Sena-senpai once did. 

“Of course, I’m not saying for you or Sena-senpai drop everything you’re working towards and come back to Japan. We know how hard you’re both working for not only yourselves but us as well. However, that doesn’t change how we-… I missed you both too. I truly do miss the days we would gather after class and the warmth of us all together would bring.” 

“Silly Suo, you can bring out that kotatsu and it’ll warm you right up too.” 

“I miss the figurative warmth, Leo-san. I can’t even begin to count how many hours were wasted beneath that contraption and I refuse to allow our new members to do the same. I have gone as far as to ask Isara-senpai to make sure that thing was locked up.” 

“Suo, you dare lock up my wife! Our precious roundtable?!” 

“Of course I would. I would have thrown it out if Ritsu-senpai didn’t make such a fuss about keeping it.” 

“Suo, you monster! That’s abuse! My poor Guinevere. She has kept you warm throughout the winter and this is how you repay her? My heart weeps for her now that I know she’s locked in some closet wishing to be freed from her prison.” 

“Leo-san, it’s just a kotatsu. An inanimate object is not capable of feelings. I can assure you of that.” 

“Suo, for a smart guy, you sure are dumb,” Leo replied with a deadpan tone. 

Tsukasa wasn’t sure what annoyed him more. The fact that he was called dumb or the fact that it was because Leo was the one who said it. Regardless, the statement left Tsukasa rather irritated as he let out a huff.

“You’re the last person I want to hear that from,” Tsukasa replied curtly. He was beginning to wonder why he even missed Leo in the first place. All Leo has done since showing up on his doorstep was annoy him. If it wasn’t in poor manners and knowing his parents were woken so late at night to inform them of an unexpected guest shall be staying the night, Tsukasa would have had half the mind to kick Leo out. 

But Tsukasa is a gentleman, so he would not go back on his word to allow Leo to refuge in his home for the night. 

“Wahaha. Maybe. But you followed this naked king up until the very end, so what does that say about you?” 

“That I’m almost as big of a fool as you.”

“‘Almost’?” 

“Yes, almost. When it comes to being completely insensible or lacking any amount of common sense, you far exceed me in those accounts.” 

“Well, I guess I can’t argue with you on that, Suo,” Leo laughed. 

The moment Leo’s laughter reached Tsukasa’s ears, Tsukasa could feel his anger and irritation dissipate. Leo had not only a knack for annoying him, but also an incredible talent to get Tsukasa to easily forgive him. Or was it simply that there wasn’t much Leo could do that would truly anger him and he would always allow the other to say or do as he pleased even if Tsukasa would always say otherwise? 

Maybe he was just as much of a fool as Leo was after all for continuously allowing himself to be caught in this kind of situation with Leo. 

But Tsukasa wouldn’t willingly admit that out loud. Especially not for Leo to hear. 

While Tsukasa’s mind was distracted, Leo decided to take this as an opportunity to zip over to his bed and dive head first into it. 

“Leo-san, what are you doing?!” Tsukasa exclaimed when he came back to his senses and caught the tail end of seeing Leo (quite literally) jumping into his bed. 

“I’m exhausted Suo. Let’s just lay in bed already,” Leo said as he rolled over slightly before patting the free space beside him. 

“First off, please do not make yourself so comfortable on my bed so casually. You could have been rolling around in the dirt composing for all I know, so I would appreciate it if you didn’t jump in my bed without asking. 

“Second, there’s no need for us to share a room when there’s a perfectly good guest room for you to use just a mere few doors down.” 

“But Suuuooooooo, your guest wing is so far away and that’s lonely. You may be used to the size of a house this big but for a normal middle class guy like me, it’s so huge. My house is like a fifth of the size of yours,” Leo whined. “C’mon Suo, it’s not like your bed isn’t big enough. You could fit all of Knights on this bed.” 

“If you cared so much about the size of the home then you really should have gone over to Sena-senpai’s or Narukami-senpai’s place,” Tsukasa replied. The size of his bed wasn’t his concern. Leo was right about being capable of fitting all of Knights in his bed, but that doesn’t mean he would or should share his bed with someone else. It would be different if they were still children but they were both young adults. Someone their age shouldn’t be sharing a bed. 

“I can’t,” Leo said as he let out an exasperated sigh, spreading out his body in frustration. “Sena is still abroad and Naru’s family isn’t exactly friendly so I can’t really go over there either.” 

“That sounds like you must have done something to annoy his family then if they don’t want for you to intrude on them,” Tsukasa replied, which earned him a huff in response from Leo. 

“Hey! I didn’t do anything. Suo, you obviously never been over to Naru’s place before because once you visit, you’ll know exactly why no one wants to really go over,” Leo replied. 

While Tsukasa found it hard to believe that Leo had done absolutely nothing wrong to upset Arashi’s family in some capacity, it was true that Tsukasa had never visited Arashi’s home. Knowing how Arashi was, Tsukasa knew if he were to ask, even if the other might show some hesitation in having him over, Arashi would ultimately oblige to Tsukasa’s request in the end. However, there was a certain air around it that almost felt forbidden to ask to do so. Arashi always avoided talking about his family and in the few occasions where he did, he hardly had anything nice to say about them.

From what Tsukasa could gather Arashi had an estranged relationship with his family which always puzzled Tsukasa since Arashi himself was a rather cheerful and thoughtful person. It’s hard to believe that his family could be so cold when Arashi himself was so warm. But Tsukasa knew better than anyone not to judge a person’s familial relationships based on how they act. 

Most assume Tsukasa had a relatively distant relationship with his parents at first since they were often away but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. He loved his parents dearly and only wished to make them proud to call him their son worthy of the Suou name. His parents were of course very strict with him but they were also still very loving and kind. When they were home, they often fussed over Tsukasa and spent whatever time they could with him. There were times he was lonely but he always looked forward to when he could see them again. 

Arashi on the other hand, he seemed uncertain of what his standing was or how to go about his relationship with his family. It wasn’t that he was indifferent towards them and Tsukasa was sure if Arashi had a choice, he would love to have a better relationship with them but that’s a hard task to accomplish when everyone else is so distant or doesn’t seem to care. 

“Hey Suo, you’re not up there with the aliens without me, right?”

Tsukasa’s attention was redirected back to Leo who was now only a mere few centimeters from his face. Suddenly feeling embarrassed by their proximity, Tsukasa could feel his face flush as he quickly backed away and put some space between the two of them once more. Despite how flustered and red Tsukasa knew his face had become, Leo surprisingly withheld from making any sorts of comment on his present state. 

“Don’t tell me. Suo did you secretly have an interest in aliens all along? Were you just too embarrassed to tell me how you were? It’s fine Suo. I wouldn’t make fun of you, so no need to feel shy. You can join me next time I go searching for them!”

“Leo-san, please do not say such preposterous things. Unlike you, I cannot go galavanting across the world on a whim. I have both duties and responsibilities to attend to. Between school, Knights and my family, I do not have time to go on a fruitless endeavor. My mind simply wandered for a moment. And no, it had nothing to do with aliens.”

“Tsk. You’re no fun, Suo,” Leo complained as he rolled over on his side and faced the opposite direction of Tsukasa. “I have things like that too, ya know. Duties and responsibilities.” 

The silence between them had suddenly become deafening. Tsukasa wasn’t used to the other being so silent so he wasn’t sure If Leo had fallen asleep or if he was now ignoring him for saying something a little heartless. Even Tsukasa only needed a moment to reflect upon what he said to know it was slightly callous of him to imply Leo to be so incredibly irresponsible. He hadn’t meant it exactly that way, but it didn’t change the fact how Leo could take it that way, so he couldn’t help but feel a tad guilty. 

Leo was always bound to say senseless or thoughtless things, but Tsukasa is a gentleman who should know better. His seniors always said he had a rather sharp tongue at times and he needed to be more careful about his choice of words. It has been over a year now and yet he still hasn’t learned? How long will he be a novice in social settings amongst his peers? He could only get away with a poor excuse of being a novice for so long before it just becomes inconsiderate rather than unaware. 

Tsukasa quietly walked over to his dresser and took out a spare set of pajamas and laid them next to Leo before finally saying something to him once more. 

“I’m sorry Leo-san. I said something rather harsh, didn’t I? I know better than anyone else how hard you’re working abroad for Knights’ sake,” Tsukasa said as he went to place his hand on Leo’s shoulder and gave him a gentle nudge in order to check if the other was awake or not; however, Leo remained unmoving. “Before going to bed, can you at least put on a change of clothes?”

Tsukasa wasn’t expecting a response since he was rather sure that Leo had fallen asleep. He had never seen Leo this quiet unless he was completely absorbed in composing but to Tsukasa’s surprise Leo quickly sat up and looked at him once more. 

“Does this mean I can sleep here with you then?” 

Tsukasa let out a slightly disgruntled noise in response. Here he was concerned about Leo’s feelings and offered him a heartfelt apology while Leo once again played him like a fiddle as he danced to his tune. 

“What makes you think I would agree to let you sleep in my bedroom now compared to five minutes ago when I initially told you no?” 

“Suo said some pretty inconsiderate things, right? And since you’re a gentleman that means you should make it up to me and keep me company then! Wahaha~⭐︎” 

“I have already apologized and am reflecting upon my actions. How is that not enough?”

“You can’t always use your sweet fancy words to get out of trouble, Suo. Actions speak louder than words. And the action I want is to sleep in your room.”

Leo could be deviously crafty when he wanted to be. Using both his desire to be a gentleman and taking advantage of the fact that he had said something rather unbecoming, Tsukasa knew he was successfully backed into a corner where he would have no choice but to accept Leo sleeping in his room. 

How Leo always managed to get his way with him was and always will be a mystery to Tsukasa. Because for some reason Leo was the one person Tsukasa had a hard time saying no to at the end of the day. 

In the past Tsukasa always claimed it was because Leo was the leader of Knights and their king and a knight is always faithful and never betrays his king’s expectations. However, Tsukasa was the king now. 

Leo is someone he once served, but Tsukasa inherited the crown and became a king in his own right. He and Leo were now on equal ground as the former and current king of Knights so there is no need for Tsukasa to follow along with Leo’s whims. 

And yet, he did anyway. 

It truly was a mystery to Tsukasa why he continues to do so. 

“You really are merciless, Leo-san. You aren’t leaving me with much of a choice now, are you?” Tsukasa sighed, to which only earned him a huge grin in response from Leo when he realized he was getting his way. 

“You’re the best, Suo. I love you!” Leo exclaimed as he closed the gap between them once more and tackled Tsukasa back down onto his bed with a hug. 

“Leo-san, you’re crushing me. I am asking you politely to release me and sit back upright. If not, I’ll be forced to have you sleep in the guest room after all.” 

“Suo, why are you such a party pooper?” Leo asked as he (begrudgingly) lifted himself off of Tsukasa and allowed Tsukasa to sit upright once more as well. 

“There is no need for names, Leo-san. You’re old enough to know by now how only a child would behave in such a juvenile fashion. Now, please put on the spare clothes I have given you so I may finally go back to bed.”

Much to Tsukasa’s surprise, Leo didn’t make much of a fuss and started putting on the pajamas as instructed. Perhaps the late hour was finally hitting this former leader of his. 

“What were you thinking about then?” Leo asked with his back towards Tsukasa as he pulled the pajama shirt over his head. 

“As in right now? Not much of anything.” Tsukasa replied. 

“No, not now. I meant before. You said you were thinking about other stuff before so I was wondering what was going on in that little head of yours.” 

“Please do not use that patronizing tone with me. I find it quite vexing to hear you speak to me in such a manner.” 

“C’mon Suo, just tell me. I won’t tell anyone,” Leo said as he finished changing into his pajamas and started inching closer towards Tsukasa on the bed once more. 

“I’m tired, Leo-san. Will you please allow me to go to bed already? I have Suou affairs to take care of first thing in the morning, so I can’t afford to sleep in,” Tsukasa replied. 

“If you just tell me what you were thinking about then I’ll go to bed as the current king requests.”

Tsukasa had to stop himself from making an audible scoff at Leo’s comment. After all, Leo should be listening to him the first time he asked since he was the current king. Was it not Leo who put the rule in place how the king’s orders were absolute? 

Leo kept his gaze locked onto Tsukasa. It seemed like he really had no intention on letting up regarding this matter which only caused Tsukasa to sigh once more. With one look into his eyes, Tsukasa knew how Leo was going to pester him until he got what he wanted. 

“As long as you promise to go to sleep afterwards,” Tsukasa replied, accepting his fate to do as Leo wishes. “Though, you best not retract that promise of sleeping when you hear what I was thinking isn’t as interesting as you thought it would be.” 

Leo nodded his head as he waited for Tsukasa to continue speaking in anticipation. This was perhaps the first time Tsukasa has ever truly had Leo’s undivided attention and it made him a little annoyed it was over something so trivial rather than something that truly matters. Such as when Tsukasa was yelling at him to focus while they were practicing. 

“To put it simply, I was just wondering if there was something I- no, we can do to help Narukami-senpai. It’s rather sad to hear he has such a poor relationship with his family when it’s obvious he would like to have a better relationship with them. 

“Knights has become this kind of unit, has it not? It would have been unheard this time a year ago for any one of us to go out of our way for someone else, but Knights isn’t a unit composed solely of talented individuals anymore. We have come together as a unit and work together earnestly. We no longer passively let any of our comrades quietly solve things on their own and give our utmost effort to help one another to the best of our capabilities. 

“This is based solely on my own observation, but for those of us in Knights last year, it is my belief how in some capacity we all secretly desired a familial bond, something which we all lacked in some way and as the year progressed we managed to find that in one another.

“This bond is why we all freely speak to one another now and yet Narukami-senpai remains tight lipped regarding his home life. I know out of everyone in Knights, I’m the last person who should be commenting on others and how they should confide to us about their family life but it’s because of the trouble I caused the rest of my seniors at the end of the school year I wish for us all to share our burden with one another. It was a huge weight off my shoulders once I truly confided in you all. And it’s my earnest desire that you all feel the same as well.”

Once Tsukasa finally finished speaking he looked at Leo once more and he was less than pleased to see how the other looked like he was half asleep. Considering Tsukasa wanted Leo to go to bed, he should probably be happy to see Leo falling asleep but instead he found himself rather annoyed that Leo pestered him to tell him what was on his mind and then decided it was too boring and not worth his attention. 

“Leo-san, I know I told you how I wanted you to go to bed but it is rather inconsiderate and rude on your part to be falling asleep when you were the one who was so adamant on hearing what I was thinking about.” 

“I’m not falling asleep. I’m giving what you said proper thought,” Leo replied and Tsukasa had to admit he sounded rather convincing so he decided to let it go for now. 

“I don’t think Naru is the type of guy to reject help but he’s also not the type to ask for it either. When I asked Sena about it before he said how Naru’s family didn’t hate each other but they don’t seem to really love each other either. I can’t say for sure what the relationship is for Naru and his family other than it seems complicated. So, I dunno if there’s really anything we can do for him, Suo.”

“Surely there is something. We are Narukami-senpai’s friends, are we not?” 

“Sometimes friends can only do so much. You’re talking to the guy who ran away from the throne, took months to return and when I did, I tried to disband you all.” 

“While that’s true, we didn’t disband. If I recall you said a certain ‘snot nosed kid’ made you see otherwise. And for the record, I still don’t appreciate being addressed in such a manner so please don’t take that as an opening to refer to me as such once more.” 

“Wahaha. You sure like to remember the little details don’t ya, Suo?” Leo laughed, unable to hide the grin on his face from the memory. Though it didn’t last long before a more somber expression returned to his face. “You know, I think I get Naru. After chess when no one was smiling around me, when I realized almost all of them only called me their friend for my music, it really hurt. For a little bit I even doubted the sincerity of Sena, Naru, and Rittsu’s friendship. 

“When Chess was broken into smaller units and we became Knights, I wondered if they stayed by my side just because of my music. I mean, I didn’t think that was true for too long but it still crossed my mind. I ran away not only from the hurt of betrayal from my so called “friends” but also because I didn’t believe in the people who stood by me. I was really stupid, Suo. I should have believed in them. I caused Sena, Naru and Rittsu a lot of pain because I ran away. Especially Sena. 

“I know we’ve all told you how you were the one who saved Knights. The clock started moving forward the moment you declared how you would join Knights. You were the one who pushed my Knights to seeing there was a future. And not only that, but you also showed me how I had a place with you all in that future. 

“But that’s old news, ain’t it? We have told you this countless times but that just goes to show how we’re really grateful for what you’ve done. And it’s not like you’re sick of hearing it anyway. You’re a spoiled kid who really likes being praised. It’s fine though, Suo. You’re a good boy even if you’re spoiled. Wahahaha. 

“I can tell by that look on your face exactly what you’re thinking, Suo. I’m talking too much and you just want to go to bed. I’m right, right? I know I’m right! The disgruntled look on your face gives it all away. You really want to tell me off that if I know all this then shut up and go to bed, don’t ya? But there’s one thing left I gotta say then I will uphold my end of the deal and go to bed as promised. 

“Even just now, I was proudly declaring how I was right. I know, I do that a lot. But I never really did the same for you. So Suo, I just want to say how you’re right. You have been right a bunch of times. I never said it before ‘cause it honestly made me mad at how well you understood me. Somewhere along the way, Suo became the person who understood me best. You were the one person who saw through me before Requiem when I said those nasty things about all of you. Everyone honestly believed I hit my head and was going crazy. They didn’t stop to think how we were in this exact position once before. But you did. Suo, you saw through me so fast. You didn’t even humor me and went straight for the truth. And just like always, you never hold back.

“During Judgement too, when the two of us clashed on stage you asked me if I had intended for all of this to happen and my reply to you at the time was how I am no god. That was an honest answer. I really didn’t know how it would go down when I challenged you guys to a duel, but something inside me was restless and for the longest time I couldn’t figure it out. Imagine what it’s like to be a genius like me and finding myself stumped on something for so long? It bogged down all my creative juices. I couldn’t write a single masterpiece. 

“When we first met, I wanted to hate you, Suo. I wanted to reject this kid. This ‘Tsukasa Suou’ with my entire being. I thought ‘maybe it’s because of the new guy that my creative energy was stunted.’ And for someone to do that to a genius like me, that’s unforgivable! I wanted to hate you but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. 

“You were a cute chick back then. You had no idea about the bloody history of Knights and the countless people we trampled over to get where we are. But there you were, challenging the King of Knights, who mercilessly slaughtered dozens upon dozens of people. And honestly, it pissed me off. I really did think about crushing Knights with all of my might. 

“Your defiance is what I told you all for why I was declaring Judgement. It’s what I told myself. But really, when I saw you with Sena, Naru and Rittsu, I thought how I didn’t have a place in Knights anymore. I lost my place. I didn’t deserve to be there anymore. So then I thought, let’s end this all! I was king. My word was absolute. I will cut the shackles that bound them to me. As long as I’m around they are always going to look at me with regret. I didn’t want it. It was sad and lonely. So, I carried those feelings on my back going into Judgement. 

“After I told you how I was no god, I realized something. Even if I had no idea how things were gonna play out during Judgement, there was a part of me that was hoping what I figured would be the climax would actually turn out to be the exposition of a brand new story. 

“Suo, you were right. You were right countless times. I convinced myself how I was fine with selfishly composing on my own and not caring about the people around me. When I started coming back to school, I only wanted to focus on my music. I thought music was all I needed. But I was wrong. Suo, you were the one who made me realize how I wanted to still be with my knights.”

Tsukasa was both stunned and embarrassed as he felt a blush creep up on the back of his neck. He never expected Leo to pour his soul into such a heartfelt confession. It’s true, he has heard Leo and the rest of his seniors express their thoughts on how they viewed him as a beacon of hope for Knights. While it was something Tsukasa dismissed or found hard to believe at first, he has since become proud of that fact. To be acknowledged by Leo, Izumi, Arashi and Ritsu as someone who was not dragging them down but rather pushing them forward, it filled him with great pride. 

But even so, Tsukasa was never earnestly told by any of them how he was right. And he never would have thought of himself as the person who understood Leo the best. Tsukasa always figured that title would be reserved for Izumi or his younger sister. It’s not like he did anything particularly special. Honestly, he felt more like a squire than a knight when it came to Leo as he chased Leo down throughout the school when there were unit activities he needed to be present for.

Once Tsukasa refocused his attention back on Leo, he noticed the expectant look in Leo’s eyes and it was only at that moment did Tsukasa realize how quiet Leo has been up until now. 

“Forgive me, this… declaration of yours, it caught me off guard so I’m not really sure what to say,” Tsukasa admitted. 

“You don’t really have to say anything Suo. I’m not expecting any kinda formal response from you. I only said it ‘cause it felt right. It got super off topic from Naru but I know whatever you decide to do, you’ll do the right thing ‘cuz when it comes to reading your knights, Suo is never wrong.” 

“Regardless, you put a lot of thought into what you have told me just now, yes? So of course it deserves a proper response. Please allow me to have a few minutes in order to properly gather my thoughts.” 

Tsukasa’s response from Leo was a laugh, “If it means that much to you, Suo, sure. I guess I should have expected this from you. You have a hard time letting people have the last word. Wahaha.” 

“Please don’t make it sound like I’m some sort of obstinate child who always needs to be right,” Tsukasa grumbled to which only Leo laughed some more. 

“Sorry, sorry. You’re right. I won’t anger the king any more than I already have.” 

“Thank you,” Tsukasa replied simply as he started to give what he wanted to say next more serious thought. 

What Leo said, it just wasn’t simply him saying he had faith in Tsukasa to lead Knights in anything but the best way. Even if Leo was trying to illustrate his point that he had the utmost faith in Tsukasa in however he wanted to press forward with Arashi, he still shared some of his innermost thoughts regarding how he felt and why exactly it was that he trusted Tsukasa so much. 

“Leo-san, everything you said just now, it truly does mean a lot to me. I don’t think there are any words that can truly properly express how honored I am to hear you say all those things about me. After all, Leo-san is someone I admire very much. 

“You don’t speak lowly of yourself often, but when you do, I can tell those are the thoughts you truly believe regarding your character. Leo-san, everyone has moments when they are weak. We are all guilty of running away from something in our lives at one point or another. You shouldn’t be so harsh with yourself on this fact. 

“Besides, you did eventually come back to Knights, to us. Even if how you did it was rather… unorthodox, you still stood by us in the very end.

“Prior to meeting you, I built up some fantasy of the kind of person the King of Knights was. I was so certain with a noble unit such as Knights that the unit leader would be someone who reflected that very image impeccably. The leader of such a fine unit must be both galant and chivalrous. Truly someone honorable and worthy of the name ‘King.’ So when we first met, I was incredibly disappointed. The king I longed to meet turned out to be a madman who couldn’t refrain from scribbling on the wall with a marker because ‘inspiration’ struck. I did not want to like Leo Tsukinaga. I did not want to serve under someone who seemingly lacked any amount of common sense.

“But as we spent together, the more I was able to understand and learn about you. Our relationship turned out exactly as Fushimi-senpai and Hasumi-senpai once told me in the archery hall. How given with time and once I truly began to get to know you more, I would begin to see how Leo Tsukinaga was indeed someone worth serving. 

“Leo-san, you are the one and only king I will ever serve. The reason I am the king of Knights right now is is greatly due to your guidance. I won’t ever yield this title to anyone. You were the one who taught me to greedily grasp what I desire and I will hold onto this title until my dying breath. I will not insult you or the teachings you have offered me and continue to offer. I won’t bow my head to anyone but you because you will always remain the one person who is worthy of such a gesture before me.” 

This time it was Leo who was left speechless as he listened to Tsukasa’s bold declaration. And as the seconds ticked by with Leo saying nothing, Tsukasa was beginning to wonder if he had said something strange. There were times in the past that Tsukasa managed to catch Leo off guard but he never remained silent with his mouth slightly agape for this long before. 

“Did I perhaps say something rather strange again, Leo-san?” Tsukasa asked. His worries were quickly put at ease when he noticed Leo return to his usual jovial self with a huge grin on his face. 

“Nah, it was a very Suo response,” Leo laughed. “You always say something totally unexpected. Even back when we first met, then at Judgement, Requiem and now. You always keep me on my toes, Suo. That’s something I love about you!” 

Tsukasa could feel his face flush upon hearing the word “love." He knew it held no greater meaning to Leo. He was the type to boldly proclaim how he felt with little to no regard of how it affects others or the depth of what his words could mean. To enjoy, find interesting, like or love something, it was all the same to Leo at the end of the day. Leo Tsukinaga made no distinctions between all of those things so it most likely meant nothing greatly symbolic at all. Tsukasa knew this for a fact, but it was still embarrassing to hear regardless. 

“How many times must I ask you to not speak so frivolously? You shouldn’t use words like ‘love' so casually. It’s something you should be saying for something or someone you’re truly passionate about.”

“Eh? But Suo, I am passionate about you,” Leo replied. 

“Leo-san, please listen to yourself. Are you truly aware of the full extent of where I am coming from? Words like ‘love’ isn’t something we should use to express a simple form of camaraderie. To love someone and be passionate about them is a very intimate statement.

“Now, I might have used the word rather liberally during repayment festival but I was simply caught up in the moment when I did such frivolous things. That doesn’t mean I find it acceptable now to say a word like ‘love’ so casually now. 

“Actually, I would rather not say it again for a long while. The drive back home with my parents was quite embarrassing because they teased me a considerable amount. The both of them found joy in commenting on how they have never seen me speak so passionately about and towards my peers in all my life.

“So I would appr—”

Tsukasa found his statement cut short by Leo when the other suddenly placed the palm of his hands on Tsukasa’s cheeks and began squeezing them as close together as he could. 

“Reo-san, please unhand me at once,” Tsukasa said with a slight slur, visibly annoyed at the other. 

“Suo, you’re so stupid. This is the second time tonight you’ve made me this mad,” Leo replied as he squeezed Tsukasa’s cheeks even tighter. 

“Ow! Leo-san, that hurts!” Tsukasa said as he tried to remove Leo’s hands off his face. However, Leo was surprisingly both strong and stubborn in this moment as he refused to budge and squished Tsukasa’s face for a while longer. 

After about another thirty seconds of squishing Tsukasa’s cheeks in, Leo finally decided to put down his hands but a frown remained on his face as Tsukasa quickly went to massage his cheeks. 

“I wish you would stop acting like such a brute, Leo-san. We live in a civilized society so please use your words if I say something that bothers you.” 

“Every time I use words, you get mad at me. When I use action, you get mad at me. Suo, you’re impossible to please.”

“That’s because you also don’t know how to read the room. Saying whatever you please with little to no regard of the consequences of your choice of words and how it can affect others. That’s negligence on your part as well.”

“Suo, you’re the one always assuming that I don’t know what I’m saying or the ‘weight’ of what I’m saying means. It’s pretty rude to keep telling me that because you’re wrong. I do know what I’m saying and what it means. You’re the big dummy who doesn’t understand! Stupid Suo!”

For Tsukasa to say he was confused would be an understatement. He had no idea what Leo was prattling on about now as he aired out his complaints. Did Leo truly understand the gravity of his words? Or was there some disconnect between the two of them and what they were trying to say? He wanted to believe it was the latter rather than the former. Leo was whimsical and free spirited by nature. Their upbringing was vastly different so maybe it was acceptable in his environment to say words like love so casually and it did not mean anything beyond enjoying each other’s companionship. But it was an entirely different meaning for Tsukasa. 

And if that was the case then it wasn’t exactly fair for Tsukasa to instill his values onto Leo as he has up until now. He leads a different life for him and doesn’t have the privilege or right to tell Leo how to live his life. Perhaps he should just elaborate more on what ‘love’ means to him and why they don’t see eye to eye on this matter. 

“I think it’s rather fair to say how we have two different viewpoints on what ‘love’ is and when it’s appropriate to say it. I suppose it’s only natural for us to view something like ‘love’ so differently given we had vastly different upbringings. That being said, I realize how it’s unfair to uphold you to my standards so I won’t ask you to completely cater to them; however, at the same time, I do wish for you to understand my position on the matter. Of course, I’ll be more respectful towards how you express your feelings but I do hope you can respect my wishes as well,” Tsukasa said. He’ll admit there were moments he wasn’t being the most gracious host. Even if Leo showed up at his doorstep at an ungodly hour, he did so because Leo trusted him, didn’t he? Regardless of the reason, there was never a good excuse for being a bad host so Tsukasa would do his best to understand Leo. 

“I guess… but you know, Suo, not only are you a stick in the mud but you’re super dense too.”

“You are quite possibly the last person I ever want to hear that from,” Tsukasa scoffed. Given Leo’s general disposition and how he acted, he really had no right to comment on how dense Tsukasa could be when he was just as bad, if not more so. 

Normally, Leo would have something in reply to Tsukasa right away but the other decided to remain silent momentarily as he gave what he wanted to say next some thought, “Suo, what do you think I mean when I say ‘I love you?’” 

Tsukasa was caught off guard by Leo’s question. He certainly wasn’t expecting Leo to ask him something quite like that. 

“Is that really important?” Tsukasa asked, to which Leo fervently nodded his head. 

“I’m sure it’ll help clear up some things, Suo! If you tell me what you think I mean, I’ll let you know if you’re right or wrong.” 

Tsukasa sighed as he thought about what to say. He knew there was a disconnect between what they defined as ‘love’ but Tsukasa wasn’t sure how he was defining what Leo thought would help. It’s clear that Tsukasa didn’t know what he truly meant if they were having such a huge disconnect so shouldn’t they both explain themselves to one another? That seemed like the quickest and most logical solution in order to get to the root of their problem. 

Although, since when did Leo do anything in a logical manner? This wasn’t the first time Leo wanted to do things in a slightly unorthodox method so Tsukasa probably should have seen this coming. 

“When you use the term ‘love’ its meaning seems rather loose. Your meaning appears to parallel the English counterpart where it’s used far more casually. And while I am fluent in English, I am still Japanese, so to use a word like ‘love’ to express camaraderie between friends is a little… off putting.” 

Leo was (once again) uncharacteristically quiet. Tsukasa fully expected Leo to utter some nonsense as soon as he was done speaking but perhaps this just meant how important this topic was to Leo. Something which was so important to Leo that he would take his time and give great consideration as to what he would tell Tsukasa rather than blurting out whatever came to his mind first. Maybe living on his own (or as much as Leo could when he apparently stayed over Izumi’s place quite a lot) helped him grow and mature more as a person. 

“Hmmm… well you’re not wrong but you’re also not right, Suo.” 

If Leo’s silence puzzled him enough already, Tsukasa was now at a complete loss of what was going on in the head of Leo Tsukinaga. He simply could not understand what Leo meant by being both right and wrong at the same time. All things considered, this topic hardly seemed like something that could hold any middle ground to be wishy washy with. 

“I’’m sorry, Leo-san, but I simply do not follow. How can I be both right and wrong? Truth be told, I am finding myself quite vexed at your reply.” 

Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder if and when Leo would cease being an enigma to him. If he were to be frank with himself, Tsukasa knew he understood Leo a great deal already. Leo’s thought process, how he works and even some of the inner workings of his mind, Tsukasa understood it at a higher aptitude than most. There have even been instances where he understood Leo better than his seniors in Knights who have known him far longer. 

However, for every puzzle Tsukasa seemed to solve regarding the mystery of Leo Tsukinaga, another five popped up in its place without fail. It was as if Leo was challenging Tsukasa to try and figure him out. If Tsukasa didn’t know better, he would say how Leo seemed hellbent on making sure that he remained an enigma to all of humanity until the end of time itself. 

Tsukasa wasn’t sure when the desire to understand Leo truly began but as the two spent more time together the more he desperately wanted to understand him. 

Perhaps he wanted to since the moment they met. 

“Hey, no need to get so worked up, Suo. I said I would explain,” Leo replied. It was at that moment that Tsukasa realized how much his frustration must have shown in his facial expression. 

“If you keep frowning like that, you’re gonna give yourself wrinkles, Suo. You gotta remember how you’re an idol and your selling point is your cute face,” Leo laughed as he poked his forehead before taking a hold of Tsukasa’s hands to unclench his fists. 

Tsukasa hadn’t even realized how tense he was until Leo pointed it out. What an unsightly display he wished Leo didn’t see but then again, this wasn’t the first time he showed Leo such a side of himself. It was always around Leo that Tsukasa let his guard down and allowed him to see his less than favorable sides. Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder why that was the case; however, he could never figure out the reason why, so it looked like there were still many things he needed to learn. For a little while longer, it would seem he would be a novice next to Leo. 

“Sorry, I guess it’s my bad that you’re confused about all this Suo,” Leo apologized as he nervously rubbed the back of his head. “You know, I really didn’t intend on ever telling you this ‘cause I know how much pressure you already have and I didn’t want to add onto it.” 

Now it was Tsukasa’s turn to give Leo a curious look. As purple met green, Leo’s eyes quickly darted away before hesitantly looking back at Tsukasa once more. 

“I’m really not sure if this is gonna help you or make it worse but if I don’t, I think we’re gonna misunderstand each other a lot and I don’t wanna get into a fight with you every time over this. We’re family after all!” Leo added. 

It wasn’t like Leo to preface what he was going to say so Tsukasa had to admit, he was rather curious to what Leo had to say. This really had to be quite serious in order to have him give what he’s saying so much thought. Not to mention, Leo may deny it but the other was undoubtedly at least a tad nervous to whatever he was going to say next. 

“So what you said before on what I thought love is, you were right… well, kinda. I do use love a lot more liberally than most people I guess,” Leo said. “But there are many kinds of love out there, Suo. Love isn’t just about romance. Love is also platonic. I know you know that ‘cause that’s what you meant when you said it at Requiem, right? 

“When it comes to Sena, Naru and Rittsu, you know I mean it in like, a family sorta way? It’s the same thing like telling your parents how you love them when you’re going away, or I guess in your case, when they’re going away? You’re not the type to go that far without your parents by your side. Wahaha~⭐︎” 

“Then… where does that leave me, Leo-san?” Tsukasa asked. He couldn’t help but notice how his name was purposely left out. If Tsukasa didn’t know any better, he would have thought this was the callous way Leo would tell him how he didn’t care for him but he knew that was far from the truth. In some facet, Leo unmistakably cared for Tsukasa. If not, then Leo wouldn’t have spent so much of his free time with Tsukasa, he wouldn’t have entrusted Knights to him, and he certainly wouldn’t be at his house at this hour if Leo hated him. 

If Tsukasa was certain about one thing regarding Leo Tsukinaga, it was that he cared about him just as much as he did for the other members of Knights. 

So the fact that Leo left his name out of the familial line up left Tsukasa quite perplexed and unsure of what the other would have to say next. 

“Yeah, so this is where you were wrong, Suo. Unlike Sena, Naru and Rittsu, you’re not someone I can just look at and think of someone as family. I mean, I guess I used to but not anymore. Grrr, words are hard. 

“Suo, you came into my life like a tsunami. I was ready to be hated by everyone. I only wanted to pour myself into my music but you showed me there is more to life than just music. Suo, you were the one who taught me what it means to love again which I guess is pretty ironic. Wahaha. 

“You just had to be a cute little upstart. You tore down my walls and then completely unexpectedly, you helped me rebuild them. The kindest tsunami on the planet, that’s you, Suo~ Most people would have been fed up and given up on me. At some point everyone gave up on me. Sena, Naru and Rittsu included. 

“However, you never once did. You kept dragging me into practice, you kept making sure I properly did my job as the leader of Knights. Every time I thought ‘Ah, there’s no way Suo will find me now’ as I was absorbed in writing another masterpiece, you would always turn up, handing me music sheets before dragging me off to the studio. 

“I won’t lie, at first I thought it was kinda annoying. This kid whose name I can’t even remember keeps showing up everywhere and dragging me places I don’t wanna go but at some point that started to change and I trusted you to find me. Suo, you made me want to be a better leader for Knights. I probably never said that before, but I had lots of fun when I came back to school after my long absence. 

“Every day has been really fun because of you, Suo. Even now, I’m having fun. Even if it’s almost 5 AM and you probably want to murder me for keeping you up so late. But I do stuff like this anyway since I know Suo would never do anything to hurt me. You get what I mean?” 

While Leo rambled, Tsukasa did his best to keep up with Leo’s thoughts. He felt like he understood what Leo was saying on the surface but there was something deeper than what the former leader of Knights was telling him. And whatever message, the true message, he was trying to convey on an underlying level was going over Tsukasa’s head. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t say I completely follow, Leo-san,” Tsukasa said as he shook his head. 

“Grrrrr, words are hard,” Leo said in exasperation as he let go of Tsukasa’s hand. Only the lack of warmth now did Tsukasa realize how Leo was holding his hand this entire time. Before Leo was trying to explain ‘love’ in regards to him, he was holding his hand even then. How much time has passed that Leo held onto him? Suddenly Tsukasa felt himself become self conscious of their proximity. Feeling his face heat up some, Tsukasa’s eyes darted from Leo’s as he stared at his now empty hands. 

“I got it! Suo, give me twenty- no fifteen minutes. I’m sure I can put these feelings on paper with a new masterpiece!” Leo said and just as he was about to crawl out of bed to find some music sheets, Tsukasa grabbed hold of his hand once more. 

“Leo-san, even if you wrote it on paper, I’m afraid I still wouldn’t understand. Someone here refused to teach me anything about composing when I asked so I could better understand you.” 

“Woah, Suo, are you holding a grudge for not teaching you? Is it because I taught Anzu and not you? Well, she was determined to be the best producer for the sake of all of us at Yumenosaki so how could I say no? But if you really want to learn after all this time, I’ll teach you!” 

“No, that’s not the point. You were right, I was half hearted when I asked to learn about composing. I have learned since then that I’m not suited for that line of work, so I’ll leave the duty of composing to you,” Tsukasa replied. “Leo-san, just try using your words once more and I’ll do my best to follow along.” 

Leo looked over to Tsukasa’s desk where he knew there were certainly some music sheets for him to grab but the moment he felt Tsukasa gently tug his arm, he decided against it and crawled back over closer to Tsukasa once more. And with Leo by his side once more, Tsukasa let Leo’s hand go. He could feel a small ping of regret when he noticed how cold his hands had quickly become the moment he was no longer holding Leo’s hand but it was hardly appropriate for the two of them to be that intimate with one another. 

“Alright, well, Suo… you know how you defined ‘love’ for yourself earlier?” Leo asked. 

“You mean as something very intimate and how you should only say to someone you’re romantically involved with?” Tsukasa replied. 

“Yeah, that,” Leo nodded. “Suo, I can’t love you like family like I do with Sena, Naru and Rittsu because you mean more to me than that. Do you get what I mean?” 

Slowly the gears were starting to turn in Tsukasa’s head. Not loving him like a family member but something more, coupled with Leo asking him to redefine how he views love, Tsukasa could feel the heat rush to his face. This wasn’t what he thought this was, was it? No, there was no way Leo was boldly declaring something like that to him. 

This wouldn’t be the first time that Tsukasa found himself speechless around Leo, but this was the first time he felt like he was rendered completely useless and unable to come up with any sort of reply. Usually when Leo said something that left Tsukasa speechless, there were still some thoughts he could piece together into a coherent sentence but at this moment, Tsukasa really couldn’t think of anything. 

At first, Tsukasa wanted to brush it off and say how maybe he was reading into what Leo was saying or his intent wrong but just as quickly as that thought came to mind, Tsukasa dismissed it. While Leo didn’t exactly confess his feelings for him point blank, the intent behind his words was there so to even muse with the idea that Leo meant otherwise would be completely disrespectful and disregarded Leo’s feelings. 

Leo said it himself, he was bad with words, but it was also Tsukasa who prided himself with understanding Leo as well as he did. Therefore, Tsukasa knew his interpretation was correct. He heard the true meaning behind Leo’s words loud and clear this time and there was no way Leo could have meant anything else. Even Leo, as loose lipped and frivolous as he could be, wouldn’t joke or hint towards romance with such sincerity.

However, this did not change the predicament that Tsukasa was in, the inability of knowing what response he should be giving Leo. Never before was Tsukasa in the situation where someone he was talking to confessed any sort of romantic intent so he found himself at a loss of what he should be saying in a situation like this. 

Tsukasa’s first thought was he shouldn’t let Leo get his hopes up. He should turn Leo down politely here and now so neither of them get hurt later on. And it seemed like the response that Leo was expecting anyway based on what he was saying before. He kept telling himself even if it hurts Leo a bit now, the proper thing to do was to give him a response. It would be unforgivable to play around with Leo’s feelings, even unintentionally. He should make his intent clear in order to avoid hurting Leo. 

That was the correct path. Tsukasa knew that. But the strumming he felt in his chest stopped him from doing so. Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder if Leo could hear how fast his heart was beating because it was echoing so loudly in his own ears. 

Now Tsukasa faced a predicament. What exactly were his feelings for Leo Tsukinaga? If he had to sum it up in one word, complicated would probably be his word of choice. There were times Leo left him completely exasperated but there were times that Leo brought the biggest smile to his face. There was no doubt how Leo was someone incredibly important to him. He was an irreplaceable figure in his life, that much Tsukasa was certain of. If Leo ever disappeared on Knights again, Tsukasa would spend all his free time searching for him. Just as he did during his first year. 

But those feelings didn’t necessarily equate to loving someone romantically. It could just be someone he’s close with. Although, he couldn’t really say he felt this strongly about any of his other seniors in Knights or Sora, who he considered his best friend. 

Nor did any of their lips look as tantalizing as Leo’s did right at this moment. 

Unconsciously, Tsukasa began closing the gap between the two of them a bit as he leaned in closer to the other; however, that would come to a screeching halt the moment Leo finally spoke up once more. 

“Suo, I love you and I guess… I just wanted you to know that,” Leo said sheepishly as a small grin formed on his lips. 

“Leo-san, I-“ Tsukasa started but he was quickly cut off by Leo. 

“Ah! It’s now 5 AM. I guess I kept you up late and I promised after I said my peace I would go to bed, so night, Suo.” 

Leo quickly went under the covers and laid down. No doubt a conscious effort on his part to face towards the wall rather than Tsukasa. 

“Leo-san, you can’t seriously just decide to go to bed after saying something like that to me!” Tsukasa replied in an exasperated tone. Although he said that, Tsukasa had to admit he was a tad relieved that Leo did. If Leo hadn’t opened his mouth, Tsukasa wasn’t sure what he was about to say or do so perhaps he should be grateful towards Leo. He might have stopped him from saying or doing something incredibly stupid. 

However, despite knowing he should be grateful, it still felt wrong to leave everything right there. Tsukasa debated whether he should shake Leo in order to get him to talk more. He was right that it was 5 AM and he had an early morning to handle matters regarding Suou affairs so Tsukasa knew he should really get some sleep but he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that they should talk more. 

Tsukasa slowly reached out to Leo but stopped himself short and recoiled his hand back to his side. The entire time Leo remained silent and his breathing seemed even so Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder if Leo really had fallen asleep. He found it hard to believe someone could make such a heartfelt confession and go to bed so fast, but Tsukasa has learned he really shouldn’t be all that surprised and to expect the unexpected whenever Leo Tsukinaga was involved. 

“You don’t need to respond, Suo,” Leo said weakly as he pulled the covers up higher to above his shoulder. “Actually, I would like it if you didn’t give me your reply right now. I know between leading Knights and being the head of your family, you don’t have time for a relationship. And you probably only ever imagined yourself with a pretty noble lady who will give you many pretty Suou heirs. That kinda stuff matters to the upper echelon like you, doesn’t it? I can’t imagine your parents being too thrilled about you bringing a boy home. I know I selfishly told you how I felt and now I’m selfishly asking you not to respond, but I don’t think I can handle rejection this late at night, so let’s just go to sleep instead.” 

Tsukasa could hear the uneasiness in Leo’s voice. The way it quivered in not wanting an answer right away regarding Tsukasa’s feelings. And to be fair, Tsukasa was still unsure of what to say or how to respond. The only thing Tsukasa had confidence in right now was his uncertainty. His feelings regarding Leo were confusing at best and he couldn’t say for sure how he felt towards Leo quite just yet. It felt wrong to leave the matter of his feelings towards Leo unresolved but rushing an answer for the sake of giving an answer was probably worse and could lead them down a worse path.

So really, Leo asking him not to reply was a blessing in disguise for him as well. It was then that Tsukasa had one of those “a-ha!” moments. A disguise it was indeed. 

Tsukasa didn’t doubt the sincerity of Leo’s words of not being able to handle rejection but Leo was also the type that could bounce back from practically anything. Just because Leo had a moment of weakness and ran away once before, that didn’t mean he would do it again. Tsukasa had the utmost faith in Leo that he would do no such thing ever again. Leo knew how they all cared for him so Tsukasa found it hard to believe even if he told Leo he didn’t reciprocate those feelings, that it would send Leo into such a depressive state he would be unable to get himself out of. 

Maybe the Leo Tsukinaga of a year ago would have done that but the Leo Tsukinaga of today would never. And because Tsukasa was so confident in this fact, he was able to say with 100% certainty that the fact that Leo asked him not to give a reply was more for Tsukasa’s own sake rather than his own. 

One of the things that Tsukasa has learned about Leo after all this time was how he liked to put on a facade of caring for himself before others, but Tsukasa knew better than to believe that. Leo really loved those around him. He was the type of person who would throw himself away for the sake of others. Judgement was proof of that fact. 

Not giving Leo an answer right now gave Tsukasa more time to think. To really give his feelings on the matter some thought. Leo gave him a reason and justification to why he didn’t have to say anything quite just yet. There’s no doubt in Tsukasa’s mind that Leo anticipated how Tsukasa would want to give Leo a reply as soon as he made his feelings clear. 

Once again, Leo put himself second. 

Despite whatever shortcomings Leo may have, Tsukasa knew how he was truly blessed to have someone like Leo in his life guiding him. He wasn’t sure if he could call this love in the same facet of what Leo meant but he would always be someone he valued and treasured greatly. 

And not to mention, Leo was right about romance being the furthest thing from his mind right now. 

“Alright, we can sleep for now and I’ll give you a proper response when you feel you are ready,” Tsukasa said. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for not being completely honest about being the one who needed more time, but it felt rude to also undermine Leo’s efforts to discreetly give him the time he needed as well. 

“Thanks Suo. Good night, for real this time,” Leo yawned. 

The late hour must have finally gotten the better of Leo because it wasn’t that much long after when Tsukasa could hear the light snores coming from the person beside him. Unable to stop himself from smiling at hearing the rhythmic breathing, Tsukasa turned his head to look at Leo’s sleeping form. Leo’s back was still towards him, but it was still easy for Tsukasa to discern how peaceful Leo’s sleep was. 

Despite the late hour and knowing how he had matters to take care of in the morning, Tsukasa found it hard to go back to sleep. Ironic considering he spent the past two hours practically begging Leo to let him go to sleep and now the other was sleeping while he was wide awake. However, when someone confesses their love for you at such a late hour, it’s not exactly easy to turn off your brain and just go to sleep. 

Now Tsukasa found himself wondering if maybe there were nights that Leo’s feelings kept him up. Based on how Leo was talking at first, he really had no intention of ever telling Tsukasa how he felt. Did he intend to keep these feelings to himself forever? Or did he perhaps confide to someone in Knights regarding his feelings towards him? 

Tsukasa could feel his face heat up at the thought of someone else in Knights knowing about Leo’s feelings towards him. How should he act with Leo from now on? Was it really okay to proceed as they always have? Should he ask someone else in Knights for advice? But if Leo didn’t tell them how he felt, it didn’t seem right to talk about something so personal behind Leo’s back. 

As Tsukasa continued to rack his brain over what he should do, he watched as Leo slowly turned over in his sleep and was now facing him instead as he let out a small moan. 

Now that Tsukasa could see Leo’s sleeping face for himself, he felt his worries begin to dissipate. If Leo was awake he would surely be telling Tsukasa how he shouldn’t be worrying about something like this and just go to bed already. After all, Leo was the one who graciously granted him more time. 

While Leo slept, it was hard to tell how rambunctious of a person he truly was. He certainly didn’t seem like the type of person who would show up unannounced at someone’s doorstep late at night claiming to have nowhere else to go. Then again, most people probably didn’t seem like that type of person in their sleep. 

Despite how unpredictable and carefree Leo could be, his free spirit was one of the things that Tsukasa truly did admire about him. While it certainly wouldn’t kill Leo to be a tad more responsible, Tsukasa followed Leo because he wasn’t afraid to press forward and in the scenario Leo goes too far out of line, it was his responsibility to drag him back. That was the dynamic they shared. 

“Mmm… Suo…” Leo muttered in his sleep. Upon hearing the familiar nickname, Tsukasa scooted a little closer to Leo in order to make sure the other was really asleep. And upon closer inspection, seeing that Leo was in fact still really asleep, Tsukasa let out a sigh. He wasn’t sure how he would explain to Leo that he was unable to sleep because he was thinking about him. 

He had to admit it was slightly annoying that thoughts of Leo were keeping him up at night while Leo slept peacefully dreaming of him. 

And it was at that moment Tsukasa had the realization how Leo was dreaming about him. Was he having a good dream? It sure seemed like it with the smile on his face. But that begged the question of what was he dreaming about? What were they doing in his dream? Was it something mundane or was a fantasy playing though Leo’s dream right now? Tsukasa’s mind was spinning at all the possibilities as he felt his cheeks heat up for the umpteenth time tonight. 

Once again, Tsukasa found himself grateful how Leo was asleep because if the other was awake, Leo would certainly be making fun of the pink tint on his cheeks. 

Unsure of whether it was bravery or stupidity on his part, Tsukasa found his hand slowly beginning to make its way over to Leo’s face as he brushed his bangs away from his face. The thought of ‘cute’ crossed Tsukasa’s mind while he watched Leo’s sleeping form. 

Finally, a yawn now escaped Tsukasa’s lips as he retracted his hand and placed it back down by his own side. He wouldn’t be able to deal with the embarrassment if he woke up with any part of his person touching Leo so he made sure to put a reasonable amount of distance between the two of them again.

Tsukasa still wasn’t sure of his feelings towards Leo. Was this love? He wasn’t sure. After all, he has never been in love before so he couldn’t say if he was or wasn’t in confidence. But at the very least, Tsukasa knew that Leo was someone he considered important.

With the late hour finally catching up to Tsukasa, he knew he could always give his feelings regarding Leo more thought later on when he was fully awake. There was undoubtedly a great deal of uncertainty and how he should proceed forward with Leo, but if Tsukasa was sure of one thing, he knew he wanted to stay by Leo’s side. 

With a smile on his lips, Tsukasa closed his eyes and let himself drift off into sleep knowing tomorrow was an opportunity to work out the budding feelings he had for this former leader of his. Perhaps he’ll even ask Leo about his dream in the morning too. 

**Author's Note:**

> You have my deepest gratitude for reading this fic from beginning to end. Thank you so much. I'm not sure how many people would want to sit down and read something of this length, especially in one go but I'm happy for you making it this far. 
> 
> Please feel free to come scream at me about leokasa and other good boys with me on my twitter, @KagayakuMyFaith.


End file.
